[Anti-counterfeit activities of pharmaceutical companies in Japan: for patient safety].

Global spread of counterfeit medicines is an imminent threat for the patients' safety. Although major targets of counterfeits are still erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs in the industrialized countries, including Japan, anti-cancer agents and some medicines for metabolic syndromes are also being counterfeited and circulated to the market mainly through the Internet. Due to the global expansion of the business, pharmaceutical companies based in Japan are suffering from the damage of counterfeits, illegal sales including diversion, and thefts, which have never been experienced in the conventional domestic market. We, pharmaceutical companies, must be responsible for the prevention of the prevalence because our mission is to deliver effective and safe medicine to patients. For this end, we are taking necessary actions including, 1. Forestalling counterfeit, falsification and illicit trade: Measures to prevent counterfeiting are taken by introducing anti-counterfeit technologies to the packaging and tablets on a risk basis. It is also important to establish supply chain security on a global scale. 2. Finding out counterfeits and cooperating crackdown: We are conducting market and internet surveillances when high risk products are sold in high risk markets. The outcome of the criminal investigation is reported to authorities and police if necessary. 3. Conducting educational campaign to medical staff or patients: For example, four companies which manufacture and sell ED drug in Japan are collaboratively continuing activities to raise the awareness of the danger of Internet purchase. To deliver effective and safe medicines stably and globally, pharmaceutical companies extend comprehensive measures against counterfeit and illicit trading.

Antithrombotic and anticoagulant profiles of TAK-442, a novel factor Xa inhibitor, in a rabbit model of venous thrombosis.

The anticoagulant and antithrombotic profiles of TAK-442, a direct factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor, were investigated. TAK-442 showed potent inhibition of human FXa (Ki = 1.8 nM) and high specificity, with a 440-fold greater selectivity than thrombin and negligible effects on trypsin, plasmin, and tissue plasminogen activator (K(i) > 30 microM). [corrected] In human plasma, TAK-442 doubled FXa-induced clotting time, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time at 0.19, 0.55, and 0.59 microM, respectively. The relative PT-prolonging potencies of TAK-442, rivaroxaban, and apixaban were 1, 2.0-2.6, and 0.46-1.3, respectively, in 4 different PT reagents. In a rabbit model of venous thrombosis, 50- and 100-micrograms/kg [corrected] TAK-442 (intravenous bolus followed by 1-hour infusion) reduced thrombus formation by 50% and 81%, with plasma anti-FXa activity of 23%-26% and 34%-38%, respectively, and only marginal prolongation of PT and activated partial thromboplastin time. Melagatran, a thrombin inhibitor, showed similar antithrombotic activity to TAK-442. However, 500-micrograms/kg [corrected TAK-442 did not affect bleeding time (BT), whereas the same dose of melagatran significantly prolonged BT by 3.6-fold compared with vehicle control. These findings suggest that TAK-442 has similar antithrombotic effects as melagatran but does not cause BT prolongation, and plasma anti-FXa activity may reliably predict its potency.

Cleavage of focal adhesion kinase in vascular smooth muscle cells overexpressing membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases.

BACKGROUND: Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs) were initially identified as cell surface activators of MMP-2 (gelatinase A). We have reported that MT1-MMPs and MT3-MMPs are expressed by activated vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and play a role in the regulation of cell function. Overexpression of MT-MMPs results in cell rounding, decreased adherence, and increased migration. Because integrin-mediated cell adhesion regulates these events, we have investigated the functional relationship between MT-MMPs and focal adhesion assembly. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using adenoviral vectors we show that overexpression of MT-MMPs reduces the number of focal contacts, whereas the cell surface expression of integrin subunits remains unchanged. The 125-kDa focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is cleaved resulting in a 90-kDa fragment under these conditions, and paxillin is partially dissociated from FAK after its cleavage. Pretreatment of cells with BB94, a synthetic MMP inhibitor, rescues cell adhesion and prevents changes in focal adhesions, supporting a potential role for MT-MMP enzymatic activities. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first evidence that MT-MMPs are not only important in matrix degradation but also may affect the function of focal adhesions through FAK cleavage.